Some UFC 83 losers might need plan B

With the UFC more willing to trim its roster of talent than ever before, it’s becoming increasingly important for fighters to step up the quality of their performances.

Just winning has never been enough in the UFC, but in many instances, UFC President Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva have been willing to give a fighter another shot. Those days are over.

In the last month alone, the UFC cut Jake O’Brien with a pair of fights remaining on his contract and jettisoned two-time heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. In Sylvia’s case, however, the split was a mutually agreed-upon decision.

These cost-cutting moves come amid a backdrop of another solid year for the Championship. UFC 81 drew an estimated 600,000 pay-per-view buys, deals with Harley-Davidson and Anheuser-Busch have increased sponsorship revenue, and UFC 83 generated a live gate of approximately $5 million. However, litigation costs are increasing and production expenses are up, as the company rolls out more shows. Reducing the stable of fighters under contract – currently a number that stands at around 200 – is the easiest way to cut expenses.

This means that all but the upper echelon of fighters in the UFC must perform every time out. Chuck Liddell isn’t going to get cut if he lays an egg in his next fight, but if you’re a fringe fighter, it’s a good idea to have a plan B in place.

With that in mind, in assessing the performances at UFC 83 Saturday night in Montreal, a handful of fighters might be in danger of being cut.

Kalib Starnes and Travis Lutter are at the top of the list. Starnes’ unwillingness to engage with Nate Quarry was just laughable. You know White was smoldering in his seat watching Starnes backpedal for 15 minutes. Starnes has lost three of his last four fights in the UFC, and I’d be shocked if gets another chance inside the octagon.

Update: Starnes was cut loose Monday by the UFC. His effort, or lack thereof, gave the UFC little choice.

Lutter might survive a near-term cut, only because the middleweight division is the promotion’s weakest; however, he can’t keep strolling into fights thinking he’s going to get by on jiu-jitsu alone. Here’s a novel idea – enter a fight in shape for a change. Lutter was talking a lot of smack before the bout against Rich Franklin, backed up none of it, and embarrassed himself for second fight in a row. His attempt against Franklin wasn’t as negligent as failing to make weight against Anderson Silva in February 2007, but it was close.

Two other established UFC middleweights – Ed Herman and Alan Belcher – lost in Montreal. Both were finished inside the distance by lesser-known fighters (Demian Maia and Jason Day, respectively), but they will likely get another crack inside the octagon. Both are young and have showed flashes of being able to produce exciting fights.

Joe Doerksen, on the other hand, might not be so lucky. The veteran has lost three straight under the Zuffa umbrella (one in WEC and twice in the UFC), and will likely be looking for employment elsewhere.